Naruto: Shoton of Konoha Chapter 37: Godaime Hokage Act 3, a naruto fanfic

Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto

Co-author and Beta: Etheral-23

Co-Author and fight scenes: Godospartan the Kitsune

Chapter 37: Godaime Hokage Act III

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

He had been with his Genin playing Shogi against Shikamaru while Ino and Chouji were doing their training when Chouza came to find him. Asuma's mind stopped registering anything when he heard the words; "Your father, the Hokage is in a coma!"

Honestly the bearded Jounin had never moved so fast for the hospital in his entire life. The ANBU stationed as guard had filled him in on what lead to his father's condition, but he had barely paid attention to most of it. He did hear the now officially a traitor Danzo and his ROOT Anbu deserted the village upon the breaking of the extremely powerful genjutsu he had placed on his father.

Unfortunately, his father had not gone unscathed by the experience. The mental strain of fighting such a powerful mind controlling technique had been too much, and the coma was the result. He'd seen this kind of thing before, victims under the control of powerful jutsu, like puppets. Or at the very least, open to suggestions and ideas they wouldn't normally accept. Sometimes the technique used could be broken with no lasting repercussions, other times the victim's mind would be turned to mush.

His father was remarkably strong; Asuma did not doubt that for a moment that this coma would be temporary.

The question was; for how long?

As he watched his slumbering father on the hospital bed, he fought against the urge to pull out his cigarettes to relax. Fucking hospital regs...

Leaning against the closed hospital door with her arms crossed under her chest, Kurenai could only watch. Being moral support if Asuma needed it. The man had been silent for nearly a full hour as he simply watched his father.

"...You know," Asuma finally spoke; "I can honestly say I was a real pain in the ass when I was younger. Gods, I gave the old man more headaches than I care to admit. Had a chip on my shoulder since I was the son of legendary god of Shinobi." He sighed as he rubbed his eyes.

Kurenai kept quiet as Asuma continued; "Can't count how many times we argued. The biggest one was about... me joining the Guardian Twelve." He sighed. "To guard the daimyo and the royal family, the greatest honor that can be earned" The jounin solemnly spoke. "But I just wanted to get away for a time. To stop being questioned about my choices, to finally get out of his shadow..." He looked back at his father's figure. "I can't believe I was ever that stupid"

Kurenai felt the need to change the subject, if only to distract him for a moment. "You never speak much of those your days in the twelve"

He shrugged. "Not much to tell. We protected the daimyo from threats, we didn't go far away on missions only when the daimyo was traveling" He smiled fondly. "I had good friends there, Kitane, Nauma, Seito, Tōu, Chiriku... Hmph, haven't seen Chiriku in a long time now that I think about it. Couldn't hurt to pay him a visit" Asuma idly mused.

Kurenai looked at him incredulously. "'Not much to tell', you say. I didn't think stopping a coup by half the Guardians to be so unremarkable"

Asuma's face darkened considerably and Kurenai kicked herself from reminding him of that time. Right... his comrades had killed one another. That's why he only named five of them; the traitors did not deserve to be counted among them, not after what they did

"I often wondered if he was truly that stupid..." He let out a long breath, running a hand over his hair. "'Two kings' he said, 'uniting the Land of Fire'. Kazuma you fucking moron, the Hokage is sworn to serve the daimyo. Konoha's semi-independence was never a threat to the country"

The Jounin shook his head. "After that mess I came back home," Asuma looked over to Kurenai; "Think I was standing in front the of old man at his desk for twenty minutes. We didn't say a single word; he just worked on his papers while I watched. I'd like to say for my mom's sake that both of us had a sit down and had a long heart to heart talk, but the old man and I were never built like that."

Now that Kurenai thought about it, the times she was in the Hokage's office with Asuma, while both father and son spoke even sharing a laugh or two, they never really said anything else of importance to one another. There wasn't anger between them, least not anymore from what she could tell or feel from both.

It was like they simply moved on from their differences without hashing it out. That's the best way she could put it.

The genjutsu mistress held back a sigh, wondering if all Sarutobi men were like that, too stubborn to talk about what they felt, yet not as proud as to admit that they were wrong... Without openly acknowledging it of course. She didn't have enough experience with their clan to come to a conclusion. Maybe it was just Asuma and his father weren't good at expressing themselves like that.

It made her wonder how did Asuma's sister got along with their father, how she got along with Asuma. Kurenai hadn't really met her, being elite ANBU under direct orders from the Hokage tended to keep her and her spouse busy, and she couldn't remember a time when Asuma would speak about her in detail.

She wondered if the death of young Konohamaru's parents would still weighted heavily on the conscience of these two Sarutobi men.

'Maybe that's it,' the Genjutsu mistress mentally mused; 'Neither of them want to lose anyone else;' Well that was her opinion she was sticking to. Walking over, she place her hand into his larger one giving a faint squeeze; "You need anything?"

"A cigarette?" That earned him a very dry displeased look; "least I'm honest about it."

"I pray Konohamaru never picks up the habit."

Now that earned her a dry look from Asuma; "He's a Sarutobi, we're all smokers..."

"Well, you lot do like to breath out fire and smoke" She couldn't help but deadpan. The Sarutobi were known for their intense fire control, not to mention a certain ash spewing technique her lover was very proficient at came to mind. Perhaps she was deluding herself, or being a bit inconsiderate. They were ninja; they were allowed to pick up a habit to help them deal with this kind of life.

Even if she did find it distasteful…

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Dashing from rooftops to rooftops in Tanzaku, the five made their way out of the town as Karin soon picked up Tsunade's chakra signature. It was not long as they had come to the entrance of a large cave. The glasses wearing Uzumaki explained this was how Orochimaru created his more hidden bases in enemy territory by using the natural caverns as perfect hideouts, then expanding upon them with Earth users to further create a more useful base of operation.

It was clever, Jiraiya had to admit. And sounded like Orochimaru, anyone could get confused or lost in a cave depending on its size. Apply the proper traps and genjutsu and entering one could be a death sentence.

Following Karin's lead as they entered, it did not take her long in finding the usual pattern of Oto as they made their way through the correct tunnel network. "Who is this person hime is healing?" Jiraiya whispered keeping his eyes sharp for any enemy; "They have to be extremely important to Orochimaru to go this far."

"If I had to guess, Kimimaro," Karin walked carefully beside her blond cousin. "He is perhaps the most dangerous elite Orochimaru has. He contracted a rare illness that none of Oto's medics could figure out."

The instant they had entered the cave Kushina kept her eyes open for any seal traps. Already she had discovered various layers of detection seals. A bit of concentration and proper application of chakra and she could rewrite them, bypassing their detection fields so it wouldn't trigger any alarm.

"What's so special about this Kimimaro guy?" Naruto asked.

Karin's lips pursed nervously. "He's a Kaguya"

Kushina nearly lost her control when she deactivated yet another seal, her violet eyes widened with disbelief. Jiraiya felt the hairs of his neck stand on end at the mention of that name. "Fuck..." The both swore in near unison.

"Um..." Naruto's confused gaze shifted between them. "That's a bad for us I take it?"

Shizune spoke up; "The Kaguya clan were perhaps one of the most brutal clans to ever exist other than the ancient Ichimonji. They had a Kekkai Genkai called Shikotsumyaku which allowed them to manipulate their bone structure into nearly anything."

"'Were'?"

"Their own savagery destroyed them, or so I thought," Jiraiya felt a headache coming; "Orochimaru always had a fondness for rare bloodlines, I shouldn't be surprised."

"We're in for a fight, kids" Kushina simply stated finding another seal.

"So when you say 'manipulate their bone structure';" Naruto face scrunched up in distaste as his mind wondered. "Do you mean-?"

"Their bones would twist and grow and pierce through their skin to function as extremely hard weapons"

"...Gross"

"Eh" Jiraiya shrugged. "Six out of ten among the grossest things I've seen" Truthfully he wasn't looking forward to this one bit. The Kaguya were a barbaric clan, for Orochimaru to have gotten his hands on one... He looked at Shizune and asked; "How long has Orochimaru and his lackeys been here?"

"Around two weeks" Shizune answered back. "He's been making Tsunade-sama treat his servant daily" Her face grew concerned. "She said at the rate they were going, his recovery would be swift... today was to be the last session, after it, Orochimaru's servant will be rid of the disease and it'll only be a matter of time before he is at his original strength"

At that Karin gulped in terror. "This is bad, this very, very bad" She felt cold sweat gathered on her neck. "Before his disease Kimimaro was insanely strong. Easily an elite S-Class. His bone-made weapons and techniques are very powerful, not to mention his bone density grants him immense defensive power. And by what I observed, the skin would not suffer a single scarring or wound from his bones coming out, which means either his skin works in tandem with his Kekkei Genkai or he has an advanced healing factor..."

Both former ANBU captain and Sannin gave each other a long dry look. Like fighting that traitorous snake bastard was going to be hard enough, add in the Kaguya, ugh... "Leave Orochimaru and this Kimimaro to me and Kushina," Jiraiya stated.

Karin quickly nodded with agreement, wanting no part of either. Naruto looked to his mother who looked back at him; "Will you be alright?"

"We'll be fine; this isn't a battle you're ready for yet."

"Hostages should be the priority" Karin spoke. "While Orochimaru has them in his grasp, we won't be able to make a move against him without risking their lives"

"Which is why you two will look for the hostages" The sage said with authority. "Kushina, Shizune and I will sneak in and make our way to Tsunade and the snake. Your sensor ability will help this go more smoothly"

Karin nodded, determined to not let them down.

"But, doesn't that mean you three needs to wait before you attack Orochimaru until the people are safe?" Naruto pondered. "How do we let you know?"

"I brought some radios with me" Jiraiya points out before rubbing his chin. "Hmm, but the deeper we go in the caves the less it's likely they'll work"

Kushina smirked. "I've got that covered" She pulled out a pair of tags with seals of them; she slapped one on her arm and gave the other to Naruto. "These seals work at a frequency. If you channel chakra through one it'll send a soft pulse through the other, when you get the hostages free activate the seal to give us the all clear"

XxX ~ Tsunade ~ XxX

The slug princess said nothing as she neared the end of her 'patient's' treatment. Kimimaro did not even speak; he had not spoken a single word as he simply watched the legendary medic treat him for every session. Honestly it was unnerving, never mind he being a Kaguya was frightening enough.

The thought of restoring a strong servant of Orochimaru back to his even more frightening original strength was easily the second stupidest thing she had ever done. First one was leaving Konoha in the first place, which; if she hadn't done so then she wouldn't be in this situation all together.

While this man seemed to lack the bloodthirsty impulses his clan was known for, he was calm in a terrifying way. He cared for nothing except being a useful tool for his master.

And a tool he was, Orochimaru was doing this just to regain something after all his recent loses. Her former teammate cared not for the lives of his soldiers any more than one cares for a useful weapon or an instrument necessary to achieve their goals. They may chip and crack, but as long as they held some use then that it was all that mattered to him.

Tsunade remembered a time when Orochimaru (while still twisted in a way, honestly, they should have seen the signs...) conducted research and experiments in an ethical fashion, a time where he actually cared for the health of his subjects. All to help protect their home.

It pained her to see that nothing remained of her old friend.

Speaking of her old friend, Orochimaru had not left the room as he watched her every move like a hawk. Not far away was that grey haired weirdo that seemed like the second in command to the snake. Every session both had been in the room, not trusting some mook to ensure she did something funny.

"How are you feeling Kimimaro?" Kabuto spoke up.

"I will be ready for use once again to you Orochimaru-Sama. And your vessel if you require one."

Another thing that made Tsunade's blood run cold, he actually perfected that horrible immortality jutsu by jumping his soul from body to body. It was beyond sickening that he actually fell this far into madness.

"Hmm," the snake Sannin rubbed his chin in brief contemplation; "if it comes to that I will, for now I need you as my weapon."

"Yes my lord."

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

As they stealthily made their way through the caverns, Karin couldn't help but be reminded it what it was to live under Orochimaru's yoke. Constantly staying in the darkness, damp and forgotten ruins, or bases built up from scratch underground. Tolerating the experiments done upon her, bearing witness to atrocities committed in the name of 'science'. Well, Orochimaru's definition of 'science'.

She felt ashamed she ever worked for that man. But she had been a lost girl with nowhere to go. Orochimaru came with a thinly veiled mask of kindness, promising her a place to belong. And Karin had been foolish enough to accept... but the promise of a place to call home, to a child who had none, was a brilliant as a diamond even if what she found was something dark and macabre.

The people employed by Orochimaru, she knew many were like she had been once. Alone and with no place in the world to call their own. Others were mercenaries, bloodthirsty and sadistic men and women who had been rejected by the world, who either answered the Snake Sannin's calling because they wanted to fill their pockets with money, or their hands with blood.

In a way, she pitied the lost ones. But she had made her choice, and so had they. She would fight for her family.

...Even so, it unnerved her that Naruto looked so cheery, even as they dragged the unconscious body of an Oto-nin into a dark corner where no one would find him.

"Okay" She had to ask; "What's got you in such a good mood?"

"I just" He nearly laughed in a whisper. "I'm happy things make sense. Granny wants to come home with us, I know that now. Orochi-teme is just manipulating her"

Ah, so that was it. He was happy that his grandmother wanted to be with her family in the end.

But seeing someone smiling as they sneak up on a guard and put them in a sleeper hold with a smile was damn weird; "I have the strangest relatives," the redhead quietly muttered as they dragged another sleeping Oto-Nin into a well-hidden corner.

Both keep close to a wall as they as they silently walk through a long corridor; "Least I can say I'm saner than my mom."

"...Nah, you're just better at hiding it," Karin flatly responded which made her blond cousin slump his head. Nearing a four-way intersection the redhead concentrates; "We keep going forward and then right. I feel least a dozen chakra signatures, all civilian level."

Naruto nodded as they continued onwards. Soon enough they arrived at their destination, peering over the corner they saw a lone Oto-nin standing guard in front of cell bar's, behind said bar were a group of people who huddled up close for comfort and warmth. Their faces were filled with fear; these people had been living with constant terror for days.

Karin did a series of handseals and stretched her palms forward her genjutsu took place, and the guard turned sharply to his right, the opposite direction of two young ninjas were, as he heard a noise. "Who's there?!" He exclaimed, taking out a kunai.

They moved swiftly, Karin dashed forward and gave a sweeping kick at his legs. He yelped as he fell to the ground, while Naruto quickly stood over him with a crystal kunai pointed at his face. The prisoners cried out in shock at the sight of what had transpired, they muttered among themselves, some even whispering with excitement, hoping the newcomers were here to save them.

"Where's the key?" Naruto demanded.

The ninja beneath him shook his masked face. "T-There isn't one. The lock works with a seal. You need to do the right combination of hand seals or the cell detonates"

"What's the combination?" Karin joined in as she expected the lock, he was telling the truth.

"If I tell you, will you let me go?" He frightfully asked.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "So you can warn your boss?"

The ninja scoffed. "Oh to hell with Orochimaru. I ain't dying for that sick fuck"

Heh, so Orochimaru wasn't popular with all of his subordinates. Naruto shared a look with his red eyed cousin, she shrugged as she replies. "I don't think he's lying"

"Fine" Naruto nodded and looked at the Oto-Nin. "What's the combination?"

"Boar, Rat, Snake, Horse, Boar, Snake and Hare" He answered without missing a beat.

Karin tried the sequence and planted her palm against the lock, guiding the chakra. To her delight, she heard the lock moving and cell door opened. The people cried out in joy as they stood up, ready to escape. "Shhhh, be quiet" Karin understood how they felt, but they needed to silent if they wanted to escape.

"There, they're out" The Oto-nin said. "Can I go now?"

Naruto looked at him for a moment. He finally stood up and removed the kunai, much to the older ninja's relief. "You can go. But it's best for you if you leave now"

"Right. Fuck this job" The former Oto-Nin grunted as he turned tail and left, muttering to himself all the way. "'Be a ninja', they said, 'It's a great way to make money'..."

"Depends on who you work for," Naruto commented back as he shrugged when he didn't get a reply. He looked back to the civilians; "You guys follow me and my cousin, will get you all to safety."

A young woman, near maybe Ayame-Neechan's age was almost in tears; "Thank you," she whispered.

The two Uzumakis nod with a small smile as they quietly led the group out of this damn hellhole of Orochimaru's. "When we get them out of the cave alert aunt Kushina," Karin whispered.

"You got it."

XxX ~ Tsunade ~ XxX

The buxom blond sighed as she lowered her hands as he jutsu faded; "It's finished, you should rest for least a few days."

Kimimaro said nothing as Kabuto walked over to the other side of the operation's bed. Performing a quick inspection jutsu, the grey haired medic nodded; "He's clear, the disease is gone."

"Magnificent," Orochimaru nearly purred as he smiled; "Thank you Tsunade."

"Thank me by letting go of those people," the Senju woman turned sharply as she glared.

"Oh and I will" He looked so damn smug she wanted to punch him in the face so bad... "After we go through my notes for Kimimaro's medicine, I don't want any surprises"

Tsunade frowned. "That wasn't the bargain. I healed him that means the people can go"

"Bargain?" Orochimaru found the word hilarious. "My dear, this was never a bargain. You do what I say or the hostages die, you've never had a say in this"

Her fists shook in anger. 'Where are you guys?'

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Kushina and Jiraiya stood in front of the door that would lead them to Orochimaru's 'operating room', where Tsunade was located, as well as the snake and his lackeys. Shizune stood close to Kushina.

The fiery redhead tapped her feet while looking at the seal in her arm. "Come on, kids, come on..." She muttered impatiently. Every second was precious, they couldn't waste anymore.

The seal faintly flared with energy, sending a tingling sensation on her skin. "Oh" She smiled. "There we go"

Shizune prepared her poisoned senbon. Jiraiya nodded and quickly did a series of hand signs. Kushina grabbed her blade and with a chakra enhanced kick she sent the door flying into the room, revealing their shell shocked occupants

Kimimaro reacted with inhuman speed; he stood from the table and quickly pulled out a blade-sharp bone from his palm. The makeshift weapon cut the flying door in half, the two pieces harmless avoiding his master. He looked at his hand and flexed it. 'Still not at 100%' the full recovery of his power would take time.

Tsunade took her chance and jumped back, standing next to the two Konoha ninja and her apprentice. "About time you showed up"

"What is this?!" Orochimaru snarled in rage at the audacity.

"It's a surprise party!" Kushina cheerfully informed. "And here's your present!"

Jiraiya let go of the energy he had been gathering, it spew from his mouth in a violent torrent of flames directed at his former teammate. Snake eyes widened in shock as the fireball grew close in the span of a second.

XxX ~ moments prior ~ XxX

"Over here, quickly!" Naruto waved his hand at the former prisoners as they directed them through the cave entrance, the frightened people sounded so overjoyed at just being able to feel the morning sun on their faces again.

Karin did a quick head count, reaching out with her sensing ability to see if they were missing anyone. "That's all of them" She looked at one of the civilians, a man who looked to be in his middle years. "Can you get back to the town on your own?"

"I-I think so, yes" He nodded hesitantly.

Not satisfied with that answer, Naruto just made a few clones. "Follow them, they'll get you there"

"Bless you..." The man muttered in gratitude as he and his people followed the clones.

"Alright" As soon as they got to a reasonable safe distance, Naruto went for the tag on his arm that his mother gave him and activated it. "There, mom should have got the message"

They stood in silence for a few seconds.

"You think they need hel-?"

Karin's words died in her mouth when the ground exploded. From the depths of the cave, fire and sheer force shattered the earth outwards as chunks of stone and dirty went up flying, steaming and flaming with smoldering heat. Trees were torn apart by the blast as great cloud of dust and smoke went up into the air.

Having been thrown back by the strength of the blast, the two young teens painfully sat back up to look at the smoldering crater in disbelief. "Well that escalated quickly..." Naruto muttered. They quickly moved to stand closer to the great whole in the ground.

"You were trying to blown us up too, you moron?!" Tsunade's voice was heard from inside the crater, they could see her form as the smoke settled.

"Yeah, okay" Jiraiya coughed, he was on one knee. His clothes slightly singed and dirty. "Maybe doing a high rank explosive technique in closed quarters wasn't the best idea"

"I think that should always be the first plan" Kushina threw in her two cents as she patted her cloak.

Her mother grunted in annoyance. "Of course you'd say that..." She rolled her eyes. "At least tell me he's dead"

And because the universe hated her, the smoke in front of them soon clear to reveal a large bone-like rugged shield standing amidst the rubble. The white material shifted, retracting back to its owner's limbs. Orochimaru was standing there next to Kabuto, and aside from the singed clothing they didn't look any worse for wear.

His snake-like eyes stared at them in fury.

The legendary medic sighed. "Of course it wouldn't be that easy..."

"Oh yeah," Kushina gave a cheeky grin; "your leverage is long gone, so we're taking my mother back home. Right after we kill you," the redhead said darkly.

Without even a word, Kimimaro created a bone sword and slashed upwards, shattering a crystal spear aimed for his master. Orochimaru grabbed a broken piece before it fell, inspecting it before he looked up to see both Naruto and Karin; "We meet again Naruto-kun, your skills have gotten better. That was a very good spear"

"Would have looked better through your skull," the blond snarled till shock came to his eyes seeing the one person he was not expecting; "K-Kabuto..."

Adjusting his glasses, the grey haired medic lightly smirked; "Been a while, why the long look?" He feigned a clueless gaze to his master and Kimimaro before smirking back to the blond; "Oh right, guess you weren't told yet."

His knuckles popped, as Naruto lightly seethed; "How long..."

How long he'd been traitor, was the question he was expecting. "Oh, ever since my old days with the ANBU"

The shinobi from Konoha could only stare with wide eyes at such a casual declaration of something so horrible. "What?" Jiraiya muttered. "I don't understand..." From what he knew, Kabuto Yakushi was the sole survivor of a massacre that happened in the outskirts of the Land of Fire; the boy was taken to an orphanage and raised there, and later on joined the shinobi force along with some of the children. He had seen no records about him operating in the ANBU whatsoever.

"Your understanding is neither required nor wanted" Orochimaru's right hand man replied. "But if you want to know, you can ask dear old Danzo."

Tsunade looked at him in confusion. "Danzo?"

"Oh. My. Fucking. Gods!" Kushina exclaimed in utter exasperation. "Did that old fart have a hand in every bad thing that happened to our village?! C'mon people I'm asking seriously here! Cause it's starting to look that way!"

The Snake Sannin merely looked on amused. "Oh? It seems you've discovered some of Danzo's little dealings. Though... I wonder what has you so worked up"

The Uzumaki merely fell silent, they couldn't let Orochimaru know anything about Hiruzen's current state, nor about any of the things had they discovered about the former Councilman.

He shrugged. "No matter. Right now, our focus should be about what's going to happen here" His snake eyes shifted to Karin, and she trembled under his gaze. "Ahhh Karin-chan, you have no idea how... disappointed I was with your deception"

She gulped. The young redhead blinked as her cousin stood defensively in front of her; "She's with her family, I won't let any of you bastards hurt her."

His declaration only made the snake Sannin smiled dangerously; "You think you can protect her from me Naruto-kun? Let's see how far you've come since our time in the forest."

Before Naruto or Karin could blink, Kabuto was in front of them as he thrusted a scalpel made of chakra. "Too slow!"

A second chakra shrouded hand met his; Shizune had swiftly intercepted his strike with her own scalpel. A determined glare adorned her eyes as she looked at the silver haired medic. Naruto and Karin took their chance to jump back and gain some distance.

"Ahhh" Kabuto found the challenge delightful. "I've wanted to test my skills against yours"

"You kids get out of here!" Shizune shouted as she and Kabuto began their duel, sharp blades of bure chakra clashing in quick succession.

Naruto refused. "No way!"

His mother looked up from the crater. "Naruto, Karin, stand back!"

"What?!" The jinchuuriki shouted.

Orochimaru chuckled maliciously "Ohhh don't be like that Kushina. Hmm" He stroked his chin as if in thought. "Although... for the fight I have in mind to be fair we must even the numbers a bit" He pulled out a kunai... and cut into his own arm, letting the blood flow freely.

Tsunade let out a horrified gasp.

Kushina's eyes widened as she understood what the snake had done. "Oh crap..!" She grabbed the Sannin by the shoulders and shook her slightly. "Mom, come on snap out it! You can't let this control you!"

But Tsunade's mind was somewhere else entire. Blood... So much blood... blood on Dan's chest, on her hands...

"It's useless" Jiraiya replied, a curse under his breath. "She hasn't gotten over her trauma" Unless Tsunade snapped out of it on her own, she wouldn't be able to join the fight.

Orochimaru chuckled. "Now that our dear princess is out of the way" He slammed his hand into the ground, making the Konoha shinobi tense, expecting one of the giant snakes to appear... only for nothing to happen at all, not even a burst of smoke.

"Huh?" Never did Orochimaru look more confused than he did now, of that Jiraiya was sure. He slammed his hand once again, the blood splashing against the floor as he applied more force. "What is-? Hrgh!" He grunted as he tried again. Kimimaro could only helplessly stare at his master.

Kushina's eyes widened in surprise. "He can't summon..."

"Damn it!" The Snake Sannin snarled. Why wasn't Manda or any of this brood answering his call?! Ugh, now wasn't the time. If he couldn't summon Manda then he'd invoke one the snakes he had personally bred and modified. Thinking on the specific entity he wanted to summon, Orochimaru finally succeeded and in a cloud of smoke he invoked a giant black mamba. The Sannin and his subordinate jumped atop of its head.

"Shit!" The Toad Sannin swore and quickly brought his own companion into the fight. The great horned toad Gamaken stood ready to fight, bringing his shield and his sasumata to bear. "Sorry to bother you Gamaken" Jiraiya quickly apologized. "But 'Bunta would have my hide if I summoned him to fight just a common snake."

The great toad slammed the butt of his weapon into the ground. "I'll try to be useful to you, Jiraiya-sama"

Looking at her mother, Kushina realized it was hopeless to try and make her come to her senses, not right now, not when there was a fight to win.

Sighing, she gently gave Tsunade's shoulders a squeeze. "Be safe" She stops and rolled her neck. "So I guess the Kaguya is mine then? Been a while since I fought someone from a bloodthirsty clan such as his"

"Oh, I'm afraid not, Kushina" Orochimaru smirked with arrogance. "Kimimaro will handle your dear boy and Karin"

Her knuckles popped as she tightened her fists. "Over my dead body..."

He ignored her threat. "You see, I was preparing a nice surprise for the next time I saw you" With a series of handsigns, a coffin bursted from the ground below, making Kushina steel herself to face whoever that bastard dared to desecrate now. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Last time you didn't get to say goodbye after all"

As the coffin lid hit the ground time slowly froze as all the color vanished from Kushina's face; "No..," her voice nearly a trembling whisper. Jiraiya's eyes nearly popped from his head as he soon frowned deeply at his former friend who grinned sinisterly back.

Sharply turning his head, Naruto's cerulean orbs froze as a figure slowly stepped out of the Edo Tensei coffin; "...A-Aunt Mikoto..."

Raven locks going below her shoulder blades, wearing her usual yukata as Kushina remembered. The late Uchiha matriarch rubbed her eyes; "W-Where am I?"

"You've been asleep for quite a while Mikoto-chan," Orochimaru said loud enough for the women to look sharply up at him as he stood on his giant snake; "Welcome back to the living world." He only chuckled in amusement at her angry glare; "Ah don't be that way my dear. Someone is here to see you."

Not understanding what was going on, Mikoto's gaze shift to her surroundings. She was in some kind of battlefield that much was obvious. The broken earth was the result of a powerful jutsu; she could feel the lingering heat from chakra infused flames. The giant summons stood ready to face each other in lethal combat, their riders were the traitor Orochimaru and on the great toad was Jiraiya.

Mikoto couldn't remember when it had been the last time she saw him. She could also make out the figure of, all of people, Tsunade, who looked petrified with fear. And close to her was...

No... No that couldn't be possible. A dream, this had to be a dream, for only in her dreams did Mikoto ever see her again. Only in her dreams she saw those beautiful red locks, those violet eyes so full of life and kindness.

This was all just a dream, Mikoto was sure. Kushina was long gone, dead on that terrible day when the world stopped making sense to her, when everything just... didn't matter anymore. It wasn't the same because she wasn't there, and it'd never be the same again. Mikoto knew she was still in her home, waiting for her eldest son to carry out his duty and-

"Mikoto"

...But no dream, no fantasy of any kind, could ever come close to inflict as much emotion in her as Kushina's voice did. The same voice that made her heart flutter and bring a smile to her face just by hearing it. The joy Kushina made her feel just by being her.

She didn't know how this was possible, but was she there... She was here, Kushina was here... alive.

Mikoto cried.

"Y-You're alive!" The Uchiha woman did not even care how broken her voice sounded; "You're alive. H-how are you alive!? I saw... I saw the body..."

"Blood clone," Kushina replied throatily, failing to control her emotions or tears as they formed from her eyes; "I used that old scroll Tsukiko-Baachan gave me."

It actually worked!? The late Uchiha matriarch could not stop her tears as she only smiled. Thanking whatever God allowed this miracle. "Aunt Mikoto!" Shifting her eyes they widened seeing the little blond boy who looked so much like Minato and Kushina.

"N-Naruto..." Here he was all grown up and... "Kushina, I-" Mikoto's body seized, and she threw herself at Kushina. The Uzumaki gasped in surprise as she jumped back, narrowly avoiding a sweeping kick. "I-It's not me!"

"Naruto, stand back!" His mother commanded, and Naruto quickly returned to his cousin.

"Enough with the reunion" Orochimaru ordered; his hands in a hand seal as he commanded Mikoto's reanimated body to attack. "Kimimaro, get those two" He pointed at the direction of the two young Uzumaki.

His loyal servant bowed regally. "As you command my lord" And jumped down from the snake.

Then, it was chaos as the battle was fully joined. Gamaken leap forward and struck at the mamba, but the snake deftly moved out of the way while Orochimaru attack with a torrent of wind. The toad's shield held strong, and Jiraiya countered by spitting several fireballs at the Snake Sannin and his pet. They chased each other continuously, striking when an opening became possible while their riders supported them with long ranged techniques.

Brief clashes of metal occurred in the middle of air as Orochimaru and Jiraiya jumped, longsword and kunais met in a shower of spark before they returned to their mounts and continued attacking from a distance.

Kimimaro landed several feet away from the two young teens, and looked at them with a cold stare. The killing intent emanating from him was... so tame in comparison to that of the likes of Zabuza. Yet somehow the dread they felt was all the stronger for it. He would kill them without hesitation, without any sort of anger or bloodlust that would manifest as killing intent. This man would simply kill them because he had been ordered to.

With a swing of his arm, several bone shards flew away at great speed. Naruto hastily rose a wall of crystal, and the impact of the bone fragments cracked into the crystal without problem, creating large dents into the material. Kimimaro produced two bone blades and jumped over the wall, he deflected crystal kunais sent his way without difficulty and performed dive kick as he fell. Two sharp bones piercing through his sandals.

Naruto and Karin jumped away, and the force of his landing cracked the ground around him.

"Hmph" The oto-nin grunted in displeasure. "Were I was in my prime, you would have been dead already" He twirled his weapons as he stared at them emotionlessly. "I suppose this execution will serve as training to regain my edge" And lunged himself at them.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Kushina swore as she dodged straight punch from Mikoto, her friend's style was the same as it has ever been. Fast, rigid yet highly precise. With a forearm she blocked the high kick aimed at her voice. "There are so many things I want to ask you!" Mikoto exclaimed as she struggled for control. "So many things to say!" Her body performed a somersault kick, making Kushina back-flip to avoid it. When she regained her footing, Mikoto was already face to face, eyes involuntarily blazing into her Sharingan. "So much I want to apologize for!"

Red and black streaked through the area as Uchiha and Uzumaki clashed; "You have nothing to apologize for!" Kushina blocking Mikoto palm thrust while avoiding the Sharingan.

"I wasn't there when the Kyuubi got loose. It's my fault Minato-kun is gone! I should have been there!" Mikoto broke away going into a flurry of strikes.

"How in the seven depths of hell do think I would blame you for that?!" Kushina outright screamed out while going on the offensive; "It was some bastard in a mask named Tobi! That's who killed Minato, not you! You had Sasuke and Itachi to look after for heaven's sake!"

"Tobi?" Mikoto didn't know that name. She shook her head, knowing she wouldn't get an answer, at least not a short one she could understand. Not under this circumstances. "But still, I-"

Kushina grabbed her arms in a hold and pulled her close, standing face to face with Mikoto, their noses nearly touching. She whispered. "I know the truth behind the Massacre"

Mikoto's breath was caught in her throat. The shock and sudden surge of emotions was enough to momentarily stun the Edo Tensei's command of attack.

Familiar pain and shame blossomed in her chest. Years of buried grief came to the surface.

She remembered when the clan decided they had enough of their mistreatment by the village. The elders called for more power, Fugaku desired to 'restore the Uchiha to their former glory'... But nobody said anything about all the blood that would spilled. They didn't care about who would die as long as they had what they desired.

Mikoto was against it, she could have said something... But what was the point? Ever since she was young her life had been decided by the clan. Everything. Her voice didn't count.

And honestly? She didn't care, Mikoto hadn't cared at all. Kushina was gone. All she had left was an empty life in a family who treated her as a valuable asset than a fellow Uchiha. A future where her children would be raised by the twisted ideals of their cursed clan.

Sasuke and Itachi, they had been her reason to smile everyday... But even so, her will to go on had died with her who had been so dear to her heart.

She knew how things would end. With them at the headsman's axe... or as it happened, at her son's blade.

But Mikoto didn't care. That crushing emptiness at last would be over, no more pain... no more loneliness.

Her greatest regret was the heavy duty her eldest had taken, and the bleak and painful life her youngest was left with.

"I should have said something," Mikoto resting her forehead against Kushina's; "instead my Itachi was forced to kill us all. My son was…" The brunette couldn't speak as her tears renewed. "Sasuke!"

"He's alright, I'm looking after him. Which is a chore trust me," Kushina weakly smirked. Mikoto lightly laughed, it was always so simple to just laugh whenever Kushina tried to cheer her up; "Thank you for looking after Naruto when you could."

"I-" Mikoto back away as her body moved on its own, attacking Kushina again. "Damn this body!"

Mikoto's hands moved, forming a series of hand signs. The seals and the way her chakra flowed told her which technique she was doing. "Careful! I'm doing my Fire Whip technique!"

"I know what do!" The moment Mikoto had announced her technique, Kushina began did a several handsigns in quick succession.

Soon enough, Mikoto's hands were shrouded in flames. The fire extended, longer and longer until two thick threads of searing flames form. With a swat of her arms, the whips moved directly towards Kushina, creating swaths of flames in her path.

But Kushina was already prepared. From her mouth she path long needles of highly concentrated water, striking at the middle of each whip. The water doused the flames and severed the whips, the flames dissipating in the air. Before the whips could regrow, Kushina directed her next attack directly at Mikoto. This time the water struck her hands, completely canceling the fire technique.

Mikoto sighed in relief. "As long as I can tell you my movements, you should have no trouble with-" Her words died in her mouth as she felt something pierce the back of her neck. It didn't feel painful, but it was very strange.

Kushina swore under her breath as she saw the kunai with a talisman. The same talisman that had enslaved her father during Suna's and Oto's invasion of Konoha.

Standing on his great snake was Orochimaru, arm outstretched, as if he had just thrown something. The mamba was locked in combat with the toad, while Jiraiya was busy fending off dozens of smaller snakes that crawled up on Gamaken.

The Snake Sannin sighed in the same manner a frustrated teacher did with an unruly student. "Kids these days, always talking during their fights" He raised a pair of fingers. "You should really learn the virtue of silence"

XxX ~ Naruto and Karin ~ XxX

A large dozen of beautifully crafted pure crystal birds had appeared and begun to take shape around Naruto and Karin as their opponent ducks, weaves, and slashes through least over a dozen crystal hummingbirds that attack him. The Kaguya, while not fully recovered after his final treatment proved as big as threat as his cousin expected. Using his clan's trademark bloodline, the young Uzu teens could barely keep their enemy from tearing them to shreds.

They both mentally thanked their senseis for not only building their skills, but also learning how to be a team. Both Naruto and Karin proved they were quite a good match with their sparing sessions against Sasuke and Sakura, or a few of their other fellow Genin.

With quick hands the blond now created crystal dragon which roared as it lunged forward as Kimimaro finished off the last hummingbird. He said nothing as he held his bone swords. Both Uzu teens gawked as the Kaguya sliced the crystal dragon in half and both pieces crashed hard on either side.

"You have got to be kidding," Karin whispered; "I even mixed in a Genjutsu with our attacks." But Kimimaro just snapped out of them in but a second…

The Kaguya only stared with an empty gaze; "Interesting, you wield the Shoton as well. While skilled, you're not at her level."

That got Naruto's attention; "Someone else uses Shoton?"

"Answers to your questions are not necessary. Your corpses will soon serve as test subjects for Orochimaru-sama. And you know full well what he will do to you Karin," Kimimaro voice blank, devoid of emotion as he spoke.

The young redhead only lightly shook as she felt the fear crawling up her spine. "I told Orochi-Teme once already. None of you sons of bitches are ever going to hurt Karin," Naruto proclaimed loudly.

"Uzumakis always did value family above anything else. But are your words empty bravado or can you back them up?"

"Tch!" Naruto grunted, feeling very useless at the moment. If this guy wasn't at his prime then he didn't want to know what he'd like once he regained his edge. They just weren't ready to face someone of this caliber. It reminded him of his and Sasuke's spar with the princess, or their run in with that shark-guy, but at least they weren't trying to kill them. At least not actively on the fish-face's part.

"I think we need back up" Karin suggested.

A quick look over the battlefield told him that wasn't possible, his mother was fighting Mikoto. The clash of the snake and toad made the ground tremble; he barely caught a glimpse of blurs moving at high speed, clashing steel and sparks. That just had to be Orochimaru and Jiraiya. Shizune was putting up and admirable fight but slowly losing ground against Kabuto

His grandmother was just... standing there, a horrified expression on her face. Was her phobia of blood really that strong?

Shaking his head, he decided to call for a bit more of firepower. He bit his thumb and drew blood; his cousin quickly followed and did the same.

With their palms slammed on the ground, they let out two twin cries; "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Two large clouds of smoke burst into existence, and there came two large serpentine dragons. Not the giant kind, but still at least twice the size of a grown man. One had green scales while the other was a darkish brown. Hein's older brothers were a welcoming sight.

"Uzumaki-sama" Intoned Hui Zhong respectfully. "We have come to assist"

"Good to see ya again kid!" Jian grunted as he swirled in the air; "What do you guys need?"

Karin points in the direction of Kimimaro; "Will you help us against him? But please be very careful, he is a Kaguya and highly-" She stopped as both dragons growled deeply as their gazes shifted to their enemy.

"A cockroach of that bloodline survived eh," the brown dragon growled. A reddish orange glow came from his mouth.

Frost danced around the green dragon's maw; "We shall aid you. And rid this world of that wretched abomination!"

Both dragons roared as a stream of frost and fire shoots for their prey. Naruto and Karin blink as they look at one another. What the hell got them so worked up? Taking the small breather both sharply look over seeing Kushina and Mikoto's fight being practically even.

It was almost like dance, their strikes and counter strikes flowed as they moved like the wind. Both teens could barely see them but took noticed of the ground beneath them was starting to crack upwards; "MOM, THE GROUND!"

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

The redheaded woman perked up at the warning and looked down, but it was too late. Two great snakes burst from underneath the earth and wrapped themselves around her.

They tightened their grip, and Kushina screamed.

It was the first time he heard his mother scream in so much pain... and it was the most horrifying of sounds.

"MOM!" He shouted and quickly went after her, Karin urgently followed. Leaving their dragons to handle the Kaguya.

"Shit!" Jiraiya muttered under his breath, that moment of distraction gave Orochimaru an opening. The Snake Sannin delivered a powerful kick at the Toad Sage's face, sending him flying away from his mount and into the ground. Jiraiya rolled with fall, and lifted his glaring gaze, blood dripping from his lips. Orochimaru stood but a few feet away with a malicious smile, Kusanagi glistened with the sunlight.

Kushina kept screaming as more and more the snakes tried to crush her, the seals that reinforced her clothing and gear struggled to hold on under the pressure. She coughed blood, and looked with a pleading gaze at her old friend. "Mikoto..."

But Mikoto's mind was gone. All she could see were a pair of emotionless Sharingan. The Uchiha held up her open palm, ready to strike as flames shrouded it. Kushina shed a tear; fear for her own life was surpassed by the indignation, sadness and rage that someone she loved so much was being used as some kind of macabre puppet once again. She felt weak and powerless, unable to do anything.

And even with the chaos around her, Tsunade remained deft and blind to the world. All she could see was blood, blood everywhere. Her loved ones' blood, her own, Dan's, Nawaki's, the victims of the war, the patients she couldn't save. It was everywhere, flooding the ground, and she was drowning in it...

She could only sink further into that crimson darkness...

"D-Don't do this..."

But in that darkness, she heard her daughter's voice. She was desperately crying out for help.

"M-Mikoto, you're strong. You can fight this"

She was in pain, she was suffering...

"Please..."

Amidst all the blood, Tsunade saw a tear. Pure and crystalline. Kushina's tear. Someone was making her daughter cry.

Her daughter... Her little girl... The blood had vanished, her body no longer trembled. Kushina screamed out louder as they snakes continued to constrict her… then her body was loose in the air. Two fists lodged into both large snakes as they were sent flying across the landscape and splattering against a massive size boulder.

Kushina did not even feel herself hit the ground till looking up seeing her mother's enrage face staring at the corpses of the two serpents; "No one will ever harm my daughter while I'm around!" Tsunade roared with fury as Mikoto charged for her.

The Slug Sannin met her attack head on; the Uchiha's flame shrouded hand was torn to shreds like paper against the Senju's mighty fist. It went all the way to her shoulder until her arm was completely gone, straps of paper-like chakra struggled to reform.

But Tsunade gave the Edo Tensei no time, and with a devastating sweeping kick at Mikoto's midsection split her body in half. Mikoto did not even react as her body hit the floor. The chakra gathered in other to restore her and continue the assault, but Tsunade swiftly reached into the back of Mikoto's head and pulled out the talisman.

Mikoto blinked and her eyes suddenly changed. "W-What?" For what had to be the eleventh time this day, she was confused. "Why are my arms gone... and why are my legs over there?" It was disturbing to say the least; even if she saw her limbs slowly regenerating... that was even more disturbing.

"Sorry about that, Mikoto" Tsunade apologized with a wince.

The Uchiha looked up to her. "Tsunade-sama" She soon gasped as she saw Kushina, her body lying on the ground and wounded. "Kushina!"

Tsunade wasted no time and was soon over to her daughter, channeling the strongest medical technique she could she quickly began healing Kushina's wounds. A few bones had been broken, not to mention several blood vessels had been ruptured. Pfft, simple enough to heal.

"H-Hey mom" Kushina weakly smiled, already feeling better. Her mother did miracles as always. "Sorry about the mess"

"Bah" Tsunade scoffed. "You'll be fine, stop being such a crybaby" She licked her thumb and cleaned the blood around her daughter's lips.

"Ugh..." The redhead muttered in distaste. Finding her mother cleaning her like this to be more repulsive than the blood escaping her mouth.

"Oh stop fussing you"

As soon as Mikoto regenerated, she approached Kushina. Her emotions holding back the Edo Tensei's command. "Kushina, are you alright?" She asked with concern.

Kushina stood up with Tsunade's help; "I'm alright. Nothing some painkillers can't fix"

Fear crossed the Uchiha's features. "Did I do this?"

"Nah, it was those-" Kushina pointed at the corpses of the snakes, and winced at seeing their blood and remains splattered all over the ground. "Geez mom, you're savage as fuck"

Tsunade slapped her daughter across the back of her head. "Language"

"Oh sure" Kushina grumbled. "Hit the wounded person"

"You're standing aren't you? And you have me to thank for"

Watching the two bicker like this brought so many memories back to Mikoto, of times she thought were long gone and would never return. Seeing Kushina, smile, laugh, joke as she always did... just filled her with so much joy.

She couldn't help it, she laughed.

Mother and daughter blinked as they saw Mikoto laughing joyously at the sight; "I missed seeing that so much." The crack on her body began to faintly glow as she smiled tearfully; "Stay like this, that's all I can ask of you both."

Kushina lightly bit her bottom lip as Naruto and Karin were soon beside her; "Mi-chan..."

The late Uchiha matriarch only smiled as she looked to Naruto; "Be brave, and don't ever give up. I'm proud you came this far. I hope you and Sasuke are good friends."

Naruto lightly sniffed as he nodded; "He's a pain in the ass, but I'll look after him."

Mikoto giggled as she looked back to Kushina who was fighting her tears. "I'll never get this chance again," And in the blink of an eye Mikoto closed the distance between them and met her lips to one person beside Minato she loved most.

Naruto and Karin stared, and stared, then stared some more. Before numbly tilted their heads with blank looks in their eyes. "Eh?"

Even Jiraiya and Orochimaru, locked in a battle to the death, couldn't help but notice that and pause; "...What the hell?" The Toad Sage muttered in disbelief.

"Well… I suppose this explains a lot" The Snake Sannin muttered, filing this particular piece of new information for later use. He then charged at Jiraiya once more, this one cursed as he snapped out from his stupor.

Tsunade rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, not surprised in the least. "Took long enough..."

Kushina pulled Mikoto close, deepening their kiss as her lips formed a smile. Their foreheads rested against one another as they pulled away. "I love you..." The Uchiha muttered, letting out the most precious and hidden secret that laid in her heart for so long. "I've never stopped loving you…"

"Mi-chan..." Violent eyes looked at her with understanding and caring affection. "I'll always love you"

Tears fell down Mikoto's cheeks. "Thank you" The words sent her heart into frenzy, making it throb so painfully yet the weight she had carried for years never felt lighter. "Thank you so much for everything..."

Her body became light, and like an angel ascending to heaven her golden spirit departed from the earth.

The last thing she gave Kushina before she parted was a beautiful smile.

The redhead rubbed her eyes she took a deep breath and glared up angrily at the snake Sannin. Before she could move her mother stepped in front of her; "Go assist the dragons against the Kaguya, Kushina," Tsunade said in an authoritative tone; "Naruto, you and glasses go help Shizune. Orochimaru you leave to me and Jiraiya."

The blond Uzumaki was about to protested until he got a sharp look from his mother. Conceiving with a nod, Naruto and Karin dash off towards Shizune and Kabuto. Kushina glanced to her mother who looked back; "We'll talk later."

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

'Ugh,' Kimimaro held defensively a bone shield against the relentless attacks from both dragons. Fire and frost with claws and teeth both had been utterly vicious against him. 'Had I time to recover my strength...'

His clothes were shredded from the waist up while his shield took quite a bit of damage. Not to say he not returned damage in kind, with his skill of bone weaponry has dealt several good hits on both the green and brown dragon.

Hui Zhong growled with fury; "This day shall be your last human. That wretched bloodline shall fall!"

Kimimaro said nothing as he created a serrated bone whip and attacked.

The whip latched onto the brown dragon's tail, sharp bone spikes dug through the scales and into the flesh, making the dragon roar in pain. Straight black lines came from his chest and extended over his body as the Cursed Seal of Earth activated, boosting his power. He knew it drained on his chakra but at least he didn't have to worry about shortening his life anymore.

With a pull, he threw the brown dragon over to the green one, they collided painfully as he drove them both into the ground, and their crash lifted a cloud of dust into the air.

Satisfied with his work, Kimimaro was about to continue his task when suddenly his instincts screamed danger. Bone spikes erupted from his back just in time for a blade to clash against them near his neck, sending bone splinters flying and making him stumble, yet he held his ground. He turned a mildly irritated eye at the attacker, and saw the Uzumaki woman giving him a deathly glare.

"Okay Mr. Skeleton, it's been a long day for me. So how about you just make it easy for everyone involved and just surrender?"

His answer was to swat an arm from which sprouted many sharp bones at her, forcing the Uzumaki to distance herself.

"Right" She sighed. "Should have figured reasoning with a Kaguya was a waste of time"

Hearing dual growls both dragon soon get back up and float beside the redhead; "You guys okay?"

"We will feel a lot better when this bastard is dead," the brown dragon snarled. "Sup!"

"Been having fun with Mr. Skeleton?" Kushina kept her eyes on the Kaguya who looked about ready to strike.

"The wretch here has been persistent," Hui Zhong responded. "But we won't stop till he is frozen ashes!"

"Awesome, shall we kick his ass together then dattebane?"

Jian breathed out a stream of fire as his answer.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Shizune lightly panted as she glared at her opponent. Kabuto looked at the dark haired woman with disappointment; "You haven't kept your skills up. I'm guessing Tsunade-sama is the same? A shame… As a fellow medic I have always highly respected her."

"You have a funny way of showing it," Shizune panted out.

"I've chose my path, I'll deal with the consequences when they come. But for now, I'll put you out of your misery."

Lunging forward with a chakra scalpel, the grey haired medic-nin senses screamed too late as a pair of black sandals smacked into his face sending him down hard to the ground. Shaking the mental cobwebs as he adjusted his glasses he saw two new arrivals into his fight.

Naruto said nothing while Karin helped Shizune catch her breath; "You know," the blond said quietly while Kabuto spat out some blood; "I actually thought we could have been friends." The blond recalled the month before the third exam and invasion happened. He had met the medical Nin a few times and was getting along well enough.

At hearing those words Kabuto gave the young teen a small grin; "We might have," he addressed honestly as he slowly stood up; "maybe in the next life Naruto. Just not this one," Kabuto formed dual chakra scalpels as he took stance.

Naruto formed two crystal kunai while Karin was beside him, grabbing her own ready to fight.

"Very well then" The Orochimaru's right hand smirked cruelly. "Your lives are forfeit"

Without another word, they lunged at each other. Naruto and Karin attacked from both sides, the chakra shrouding Kabuto's hands served to perfectly shield him from the kunai's edge, they clashed in quick succession to the point his strikes were nearly blurs. Karin ducked a slash from Kabuto's blade, spinning on the ground to give a sweeping low kick at his legs.

But Kabuto jumped, avoiding her strike while at the same time making Naruto's thrust of his crystal kunai to pass harmlessly underneath him. While in mid-air, he kicked Naruto in the cheek before grabbing his arm and spun him around, throwing him directly at Karin. Their bodies hit each other as Kabuto landed with great dexterity, grinning while the two groaned and helped each other stand up.

"You okay?" Karin asked.

Naruto's answer was too slowly looking at his left arm, the one that Kabuto had grabbed, with a troubled expression. "...I can't feel my arm"

"That's how he got me," Shizune spoke up having to sit down; "He used medical chakra to override parts of my nerves. Don't let his hands touch you."

"Though in your case Naruto-kun having the Kyuubi might help you, given your powerful healing factor," The condescending tone grated on the blond's nerves, "Then again if I touch your chest and stop all the functions of your heart... Game over."

Slowly Naruto's left hand began to move as his finger closed to a fist. "I'm gonna love to Rasengan you straight to hell."

"Give it your best shot," Kabuto retorted in a challenging tone.

The red eyed Uzumaki shared a look with her cousin; they nodded to each other and got ready. Karin pulled out various bombs while Naruto summoned a dozen clones.

The spectacle wearing Uzumaki threw the bombs, these exploded into clouds of deadly poisonous purple smoke.

Kabuto couldn't help it; he rolled his eyes and sighed. "Really?" While the visibility became nonexistent, it wasn't much of an issue for him. "You should realize by now Karin, merely taking away my visibility won't be enough"

Their plan, while solid, wouldn't work against someone of his caliber. He spotted several shaded figures moving through the smoke. He grinned.

Ducking the blow of a crystal spear, he swiftly struck the clone in the stomach, this one dispelled in smoke. Another one tried to attack him from behind, but was met with a backhand from the killer medic. Yet another attacked from above with a crystal blade on his hand while another came at him from the side with kunai in hand. Kabuto dodged the latter's strike and grabbed him by the arm, using him as a shield while the first clone's sword pierced right through his stomach.

The clone dispelled immediately, leaving the other one stunned momentarily as Kabuto finished him off with a chakra enhanced fist to the face. The smoke was already settling, so three more clones took their chance to strike. Charging directly at him, Kabuto had to laugh at how pointless their attempts were. Three kunais were all he needed, piercing them at the same time, one in the arm, and another in the stomach, yet another in the leg.

He turned around before they dispelled, satisfied when he heard them disappearing in a burst of smoke. The silver haired medic decided to stop this game and quickly run out from the smoke curtain, there he spotted Naruto and Karin charging at him. With a grin he shrouded his hands in chakra, the energy became two long blades.

He moved with a burst of tremendous speed, dodging their attacks and slipping right between them. With deadly he swung his chakra blades. The energy went right through their necks, severing arteries, tendons, muscle.

Their bodies felt limp to the ground. Dead.

Kabuto only smiled sadistically in his victory... before a frown adorned his features. Being the medic he was, it was very easy to spot the irregularities of chakra flow, especially that which occurred in his own body. Why was his chakra acting so..?

Genjutsu!

"Kai!" He shouted as he flared his chakra to dispel the illusion, looking back he saw the bodies of the teens were no longer there. 'Shit', they tricked him!

His instincts warned him, and his acute ears heard the wind being pierced by fast flying objects. He faced his front quickly and saw several kunai flying at him. He dodged half of them and parried the other half, knocking them away from the air.

"Shizune, now!" He heard Karin shout.

A blur appeared behind him, chakra blade primed. The medic woman took her chance and sliced the muscles of his right leg.

"Agh!" He grunted as he fell to one knee. "You little-!" He swung his own chakra blade at her, but Shizune moved out of the way.

"Naruto!" The medic called, and Kabuto looked back at the smoke cloud that previously had kept him busy with the clones.

The Jinchuuriki stood there, left arm bleeding... the same place where he had pierced one of those last three clones with a kunai.

That one hadn't been a clone!

Then Kabuto realized the other arm was forming a blue sphere of pure spiraling chakra.

"Ahhhhhh!" With a battle cry and a burst of speed, Naruto closed the distance.

The Oto-Nin desperately tried to move, but his leg failed to respond.

And Naruto slammed the Rasengan straight into his gut.

Kabuto roared in pain as he was sent like an arrow slamming hard into a large boulder back first. Coughing up blood the medic Nin fell forward onto the soft grass. The blond panted as he grunted pulling out the kunai from his body. "How's that-" Naruto's voice stopped.

Both Karin and Shizune looked wide eye as Kabuto, despite receiving a Rasengan full on, suddenly began to get back up his feet; "Your father's signature jutsu," the medic Nin winced as he slowly stood. His broken glasses fell down at his feet; "a truly terrifying technique, even lord Orochimaru is wary of it."

All three saw the horrid wound on his stomach healing itself till not even discoloration was visible; "You're not the only one with a trick or two," Kabuto grinned savagely as blood dripped from his lips.

"What. The. Fuck?" Naruto only gawked. "...How?!"

The grey haired young man chuckled; "Beat me and I might tell you. Or join us, the offer is still open."

"Think I can tell ya where to take that offer," Naruto sneered.

"Well, worth a shot," Kabuto shrugged.

Shizune looked over slightly to Naruto, whispering slowly. "Listen carefully… He can heal himself, but something like that still has negative side-effects. Most likely large chakra consumption whatever it is, we have to keep the pressure on. Whatever we do, don't let him get the upper hand…"

Tapping his sandals on the ground, Kabuto kept a straight face; "Try all you want, but all you're doing is tiring yourselves out. Though thankfully for you, you're more useful to use alive than dead" Despite his words, the medic mentally acknowledged that attack had taken a lot out of him. 'I can't get hit by another one of those or I won't get back up again'

Karin narrowed her eyes. "I know all too well what Orochimaru does to those he needs alive, and found out eventually what he did to those he could kill to get what he needed. That will not happen to me or my family, Kabuto. Not while I draw breath!"

Having learned how to strike fast, she was testing a new Genjutsu to augment herself in combat. As the young redhead started getting herself in position, Naruto instantly charged forward swiftly with his Kunai of crystal, chakra flowing through it to make it longer as he slashed at Kabuto, who swiftly stepped aside with little effort and struck forward with his Chakra Scalpel.

Rolling forward and flipping out of the way, the blonde slashed at the hand attempting to cut out his stomach. Missing, as Kabuto reared back and stepped aside, he noticed Shizune spraying more needles at the white haired freak of nature now.

The distraction of the other two gave Karin the time she needed to quickly activate her Genjutsu, and using all her speed sped around to flank the enemy, quickly getting behind him and kicking to his side. As he flipped backward to go over it, he was forced to cut down more needles as Shizune closed the gap with Naruto going around the other way.

Being surrounded as he landed, Kabuto smirked, but then looked to Karin. Keeping a brave face, he was confused on the inside about her. 'I swear she had another limb there for a second… What trick is she using now? I don't sense a Genjutsu on me, but maybe I should-'

Before he had the chance to act on his instincts, Naruto suddenly flew through some hand-seals before slamming his Kunai into the ground. "Kesshō Kisou Shuuha!" An eruption of crystals suddenly sprouted and started coming at Kabuto like a line of blades digging through the ground, causing him to quickly retreat to the side, only for the line to turn and aim for him once more.

Seeing the Jutsu live up to its name, Kabuto quickly tried an alternate tactic and ran after Shizune. Quickly vaulting and flipping over her, he turned with a smirk as she tried to get to the side of whatever strike he was planning, only for him to follow suit and not let her out of his line of sight.

Naruto, however, saw what was happening; his Jutsu was closing in on Shizune because Kabuto was using her as a shield. Quickly he let it go and it stopped in its tracks. That gave Kabuto the much-needed focus to finally take down one of them. With a speedy step, he grabbed Shizune by the collar and slammed her down to the ground, quickly kicking her head to knock her cold just as Naruto came upon him.

Quickly getting out of the way, he was soon set upon by Karin once more, who threw five punches to various targets of his body. Her arms… they moved like a blur, an after-image that was indistinguishable from a real limb. This was an illusion, not one applied to a target, but on the general area of the user. He had no way to see which was the real limb, and didn't have the time to dispel the illusion. Two punches hit him, one in the knee and the other was the follow-up uppercut to his gut that land squarely, causing more pain due to the Rasengan he took earlier.

Recovering from the hits and coming back with his own strike, thrusting for her neck, he was stopped by Naruto grabbing his arm and them twisting him from behind, tossing him to the ground. Using his body's momentum and quickly severing some nerves to get out of the hold, Kabuto rolled away and jumped to get distance as Naruto held his arm, his nerves quickly healing themselves.

Not wasting a moment, Kabuto went after the blonde as Karin came for him, ducking under his arm as it tried to strike his neck, only for it to slam into his head as the higher arm he noticed was the fake, thus making him slide on the ground and recover with a rolling action out of the way.

It was getting tense, as Kabuto found himself between the two Uzumaki's, neither were giving him an inch. Naruto was on him once again before he could think of a way to take either of them down, with Karin not far behind, Naruto swept a strike at a leg, which rose to get out of the way and causing an unbalanced shift in the center of his gravity, allowing Karin to quickly get behind him fast enough to kick him in the back.

As he flew forward, Naruto grabbed his collar and threw him to the ground again, this time making him bounce a few times away.

Kabuto returned to his feet and coughed blood in his hands, but quickly dissolved it. "Not bad… But you're just giving me insight on how you fight, meaning sooner or later... I'll take you out!" Karin was a distraction, she was flanking him towards Naruto, at least that is what he thought, thus giving Naruto ample time to strike and get the distance needed to land another blow. He had to go head on against the headstrong blonde. "HIYAH!" However, Naruto suddenly formed a crystal in his hand and slammed it into the ground.

Kabuto knew he needed to get behind Naruto to avoid it, so he jumped behind the blonde, and thrust fast with a shot to the lung, only for something else to strike him. The crystal thrust into the ground, and without warning crystal blades sprouted all around the blonde, causing Kabuto's legs to get cut wide open and his chest to get shallowly cut, his arm stabbed into as well, as Naruto called it out. "Kesshō Ittou Seki!"

Disengaging himself, Kabuto started running back to get distance, only for his wounds to force him to wobble and pause long enough for Karin to get in front of him and grab his arms. "Hah!" Flipping up, Karin's legs uppercut Kabuto into the air as she flipped backward.

Seeing his chance, Naruto quickly ran after him, drawing on the Kyuubi's power as he wanted to finish this off. "We're the Uzumaki family! We don't fall so easily asshole!" As Kabuto tried to curl up and try to tank whatever was coming his way, all he could see was Naruto charging a ball of orange and red chakra, which made his eyes widen.

With Kabuto vulnerable, Naruto went all out with his Rasengan, infused with the Kyuubi's power for an extra punch. "Shui Rasengan!" Thrusting forth, Naruto's attack grounded into Kabuto's arms, forcing them apart before slamming once more into Kabuto's chest and stomach, twisting his body once again into nothing but a crater of flesh before flying off, spiraling, into a rock and embedding himself there. Slowly peeling off the stone, the medic-nin fell onto the earth; he did not get up this time.

They did it… Both young teens panted heavily as their quarry lay motionless on the ground; "Finally decided to use those two new jutsu," Karin asked breathlessly.

"Glad to see they worked;" Naruto grinned to his cousin who smiled back as they high-five

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Kushina allowed herself to rest her blade over her shoulder as she smirked at the sight. The fire and frost from the dragons struck from both sides at the Kaguya who had protected himself in cocoon entirely made out of bones. Jian's flames and Hui Zhong's cold worked in perfect tandem to weaken the bones.

"It's almost too easy"

The very second she said those words, the cocoon exploded outwards; only steam and dust remained, obscuring the Kaguya's form. Sharp shards of bones pierced the dragons' scales and into their flesh. They feel to the ground in pain as their wounds bled.

"Shit!" Kushina swore. "You guys okay?"

"We'll live..." Hui Zhong grunted as a scaly green hand removed a bone stake from his body.

"Not for long…"

As the steam settled down, their eyes widened in shock. Kimimaro's skin was a dark grey, and his eyes a baleful yellow. Six thick bones sprouted from his back, his spine was visible and he now possessed a large tail with bone protuberances. The chakra he radiated... it was sick, and so dense.

"What the hell..?" Kushina muttered in astonishment.

"This" The Kaguya took a step forward, "is Orochimaru-sama's gift to me"

"Your master has a fucked up definition of a gift" Kushina said with narrowed eyes. She shifted her gaze to the dragons. "You guys leave him to me, go treat your wounds"

"Kushina-sama" Jian tried to protest.

The Uzumaki matriarch shook her head. "You're in no condition to fight, and he's become even more dangerous. Go"

They hesitated for a moment before dutifully nodding. "As you wish" And vanished just like that had appeared, in bursts of smoke.

"...Was that truly wise?" Kimimaro spoke, still in an empty tone; "they may prove effective shields for you."

Kushina frowned at that; "Unlike your little snake cult we treat our summonings like family."

"As I have also heard. The Uzumaki are perhaps the strangest clan I have ever met. But enough, let me see the skills that earned you the title of Red Death." The Kaguya charged in almost demonic speeds, and the Uzu barely avoided least three strikes in one move.

'And he was already fast as hell!' Kushina deflected several swipes of Kimimaro's tail with her blade.

Blades sprouted from his palms, a flurry of slashes clashed with the Uzumaki's blade. He twirled around as dozens of bones erupted from underneath his skin, forcing Kushina to back way to avoid the deadly dance.

With a mighty cry, Kimimaro thrusted out his chest, causing to large bones to sprouted directly at Kushina. She quickly brought her up blade horizontally in front of her, a palm pressed against the edge near the tip, when the bones impacted the metal she was sent flying away with the sheer strength of his attack.

She bounced off the ground a few times before rolling and regaining her footing. She scoffed when she saw Kimimaro just stand there as most of his bones retracted, he looked at her with so little emotion it just pissed her off, made her feel he wasn't taking her seriously.

He was powerful, of that there was no doubt... and this guy was not even back on his prime according to Karin.

"This is the end" Without warning, he slammed his hand on the ground and this one trembled.

Before Kushina's widening eyes, rows and rows of countless sharp bones sprouted from the ground at tremendous speed. Quickly filling the terrain around her opponent to the point the only visible thing were bones. A garden of bones.

Kushina jumped away quickly, and stared horrified from the air that soon their entire area of the battleground was filled to the brim with bones, not a single speck of ground was visible, not a single place where she could safely land. The bones underneath her began extending further, twisting and joining, creating a spiral of bones that would pierce her the moment she began falling.

She was trapped, all he had to do was waiting for her to fall.

But Kushina wasn't going to give up now, it was true that his bones were incredibly hard, but they weren't indestructible. So she held her blade in her hands and activated layers upon layers of seals.

Kimimaro narrowed his eyes. "Huh?"

Wind gathered around her blade at such impossible speeds they completely covered it, the edge was no longer visible in itself, just a violent torrent of wind that tightly wrapped itself around the metal to the point it looked like the wind had taken the form of a sword.

Kushina held the blade over her head as she fell. "Haaaaah!" And with a mighty swing she sent down a gale of so strong it was like a miniature tornado tail. The wind was so powerful it tore the spiral of bones to little shards, and when it collided with the ground the bones on its path were reduced to dust, creating a hole in the bone garden where she safety landed.

Kushina raised her head and smirked. "Like it?" She waved her wind blade around. "Multiple air-element seals layered across the blade, highly condensed gales of wind that spin so rapidly they shred nearly anything on their path"

The Kaguya's gaze became ever so slightly infuriated.

"Chakra consumption on this technique is a bitch I'll admit" She pointed her weapon at him. "But it'll cut even through your strongest bones" She winked playfully at him. "What? You think I made it to ANBU captain just by being this sexy?" Kushina smirked before turning deadly serious; "Now it's my turn."

Kimimaro merely scoffed and dashed forward. Before Kushina's eyes his form phased unimpeded through the bone stakes, their matter harmlessly shifting through his body. It was sort of surreal to the Uzumaki.

She couldn't ponder much on it as with a thrust of his hand Kimimaro directed several stakes to bend and attack from all directions. The redhead held firm and sung her blade, the miniaturized gale of her blade tore through the bones with this, the area of contact with her sword were reduced to mere dust as the rest of the makeshift weapons were thrown away with the winds.

Kimimaro once more narrowed his eyes, the sheer pressure and wind chakra in that blade was simply extraordinary. It had to be to be able to reduce low level bone attacks to mere dust and splinters.

Yellow eyes widened when Kushina swung her blade at him, he quickly formed a shield to protect him. Focusing as much density with the calcium as he could. The torrent of wind collided with his shield like a drill, spilling over the edges of his makeshift protecting like a violent hurricane.

It stopped as soon as it came, and though Kimimaro could not see it, there was a large dent on his shields along with dozens of cuts created by her wind blade.

Kushina let out a quick pant as she felt a bead of sweat roll down her neck. She hadn't been kidding about the chakra consumption on this technique. Air element so highly concentrated with extreme cutting power like this required a ton of continuous use of chakra to use, but it was the only way to pierce his defenses and weapons.

The Kaguya's kekkei genkai was something else, and it once more alarmed Kushina that this guy wasn't at full power. She had to remind herself that she's been away for twelve years while everyone else kept training and advancing.

Regardless, she had to finish this quickly. She held her blade back in a stance, like a hornet ready to sting.

Kimimaro answered in kind, covering his right arm with thick curved bones until a great bone drill-like weapon, much larger than his arm and nearly as big as his entire body was formed. Maximum offensive power and durability was put into this technique.

"Dance of the Clematis" The Kaguya intoned. "Flower!"

Kushina was about to shout out her own technique... only to remember her wind-blade didn't have one. Oh gods damn it! Years after making this thing and she still didn't have a cool name to use. Whatever...

They leapt, and the tip of her sword clashed against that of his own weapon. Sheer force from the collision made every bone stake around them to be torn apart and turbulent winds danced across their battlefield.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Breaking away from Jiraiya and now Tsunade, who annoyingly seemed to shaken off her fear of blood (because snapping out of a trauma was apparently that easy…), Orochimaru looked on impressed at the display of power from his servant and Kushina. "Your daughter is truly magnificent Tsunade."

The slug princess stood beside Jiraiya on Gamaken's head as she clenched her fists; "Don't even think of trying to snatch my daughter or my grandson for your sick experiments. I'll kill you myself if you dare touch them."

Orochimaru only chuckled maliciously; "You're welcome to try old friend, but your idle threats won't stop me. I had originally written off your grandson in the beginning, and then he awakened that marvelous and highly rare Shoton. Since that remarkable day, Naruto-kun has begun to show both skill and talent that may rival or surpass Minato and Kushina all together. He also being Jinchurriki is simply a sweet bonus. I must have that power, or kill him if he proves too much of a threat."

The toad sage growled; "Like we'll ever let that happen."

"Hmm" The Snake Sannin weighted his options. On one hand he had what he wanted; Kimimaro was free from the disease, now he just had to regain his edge to once more be a useful soldier to him. Kabuto was down from the count, and he'd rather not have Kimimaro continue fighting Kushina. He could take his subordinates and leave right now without losing anything.

On the other hand, Tsunade was willing to return to Konoha. That much was obvious. He couldn't let that village get a medic of her genius in their hands once more, they'd become an even greater annoyance for his operations.

The answer was clear, he would kill Tsunade. Or Jiraiya failing to do that. He'd rob Konoha of a powerful asset one way or another.

Two more giant snakes bursted from the ground and attacked Gamaken, the great toad held one of them back with his shield while swatting the other one with his sasumata. But as Orochimaru's black mamba joined the fray again the great toad found himself slowly being overwhelmed.

Tsunade jumped high in to the air and bit into her finger, the sight of blood no longer unnerved her. And slammed her hand in the air, calling forth a summoning array. "Kuchiyose!"

From a great cloud of smoke, a giant white and purple slug fell from the sky, and fell right on top of the three snakes. Orochimaru's eyes widened before the great slimy creature crushed him and his pets.

"Oh dear" The great slug said in a surprised tone. "This was rather sudden"

The medic landed atop her body and sighed. "Sorry about the abruptness of it all, Katsuyu"

"Oh, Tsunade-sama!" The great slug was shocked to seeing its master again. "It's been so long!"

Jiraiya chuckled at the sight; he could say the same about Katsuyu. It's been many years since he saw... Her, him, it? He didn't know. The hermaphroditic nature of the slugs made Kaguya neither female nor male, but the tone of its voice always felt more feminine to him so the Sage was used to referring to the giant slug as a 'she'. And Katsuyu was impartial to it one way or another.

They didn't have much time to celebrate this reunion as the snakes beneath Katsuyu suddenly... split apart. Their massive bodies became an innumerable amount of smaller snakes that climbed up the slug's body.

"Oh no!" Katsuyu tried to shake them away, as well as spitting acid but she only got those that climbed up the front of its body.

"Crap!" Jiraiya turned his hair into deadly weapon, solidifying each strand into a deadly needle as it grew in length and struck down the snakes climbing up Gamaken like a whip.

Tsunade didn't fear as well against the snakes, they swarmed her from all sides, biting every visible part of her skin. Their venom was nothing to someone who had such a powerful tolerance as her. She swatted them away with punches so strong they broke their bodies, and when one latched onto her she'd just grab them and squeeze, breaking their necks.

But there was just so many of them.

Suddenly one of the snakes, one of that could have been lost amidst the sea of its kin, lunged at her, it grew in size exponentially. It opened its maw to reveal not a forked tongue, but a blade coming from inside its throat.

Tsunade couldn't react in time. Blood escaped her lips as the blades pierced her sternum and went right through her back. The snake slowly slithered away, revealing a pale arm that grasped the blade's handle. Covered in bile and saliva, a victoriously grinning Orochimaru emerged from the snake's body.

"Thank you for healing my asset, but your usefulness has ended. And I won't allow Konoha to have both you and Jiraiya into their fold. My plans will not be hindered." The snake Sannin laughed as he leaped back avoiding Jiraiya's now more vicious onslaught.

'Damn it,' Tsunade growled; 'I let myself get this damn rusty.' But she was not about to give up. She'd be damned if let that smug bastard have the last laugh; 'This may shorten my lifespan. But I will not leave my daughter and grandson behind again!' Ripping off several snakes from her body with her bare her hands, Jiraiya's eyes widened, realizing what she what she was doing the moment she brought her hands into a seal.

"Sōzō Saisei!"

Tsunade's body glowed with mystical energy. The seal in her forehead disappeared and in its place black markings appeared over her face. Before the other two Sannin's eyes her wounds began to emit smoke as if they were being cauterized.

The cells in every part of her body were forced to create more proteins at an accelerated rate. Tissue and cell regenerating exponentially, splitting at amazing speeds not possible for a normal human.

Tsunade's wounds closed in but a second.

"So this is it..." Orochimaru muttered, his voice holding a hint of deep admiration at the sheer beauty of that technique. "'Creation Rebirth'. Even though I'm certain I pierced your heart you forced your body to regenerate so fast it made no difference..."

A technique that guaranteed 'immortality' as long as the user had chakra.

But there was a great drawback to this powerful healing ability. A human's cells could only split a limited amount of times in a lifetime; the use of this technique could save someone from certain death at the cost of shortening their lifespan.

Reinvigorated with sudden energy, her muscles contracted into action. Then she moved.

In the blink of an eye she had cleared the distance between Orochimaru and herself. The snake Sannin's wide eyes could only stare into Tsunade's determined glare.

She drove her fist into his chest; bones caved in and snapped, rupturing the internal organs.

He was sent flying through air from Katsuyu's back and impacted upon the ground with such force the earth underneath him cracked and rose.

When the dust settled, Orochimaru's broken form laid limp on the crater. The caved section of his torso was a disgusting sight.

"Damn, hime..." Jiraiya muttered.

The Slug Princess sighed as the marks on her face disappeared. "It's over"

Suddenly, Orochimaru's body twitched, much to their horror. His mouth opened to an unnatural degree. A pale hand slipped through it, followed by another. They opened the jaw wider still Orochimaru, now fully healed, emerged like a snake shedding his skin.

"...Oh that's just gross"

Orochimaru was neither smiling nor frowning as he looked up at his former teammates; 'I won't be able to withstand a second one of those if she hits me again. We have overstayed our welcome, Kimimaro is healed. I shall simply deal with my old friends and that village later.'

"Kimimaro," The Kaguya turned sharply from his stare-down with Kushina upon hearing his master; "Retrieve Kabuto, we are leaving."

"Yes my lord," Kushina gasped as her opponent outright varnished with nothing but pure speed. Appearing next to the unconscious medic Nin and picked him up over his shoulder.

Tsunade growled as she leapt off her summoning; "Like hell you're getting away!"

The snake sannin only chuckled as he vanished via shunshin; the great mass of snakes slithered away, disappearing from sight and Kimimaro too was soon long gone. Karin was tending to Shizune, who was finally waking up, while Naruto only seethed; "He got away."

Again…

"We'll get him one day," Kushina stated as she sheathed her sword; "let's get back to the hotel and rest up."

The legendary medic let out a long tired sigh. "I healed his lackey and now he'll be back at full strength" She sounded so disappointed and angry with herself. "I gave him back a powerful asset"

"Might be so" Jiraiya replied as he crossed his arms. "But Konoha would get one back with you" He paused as he looked at her hopefully. "If you're willing"

The blonde woman looked at her daughter, who carefully made sure not to show any emotion. So far she was doing a poor job because Tsunade could see the apprehension in her eyes. Naruto looked so hopeful, and she nearly caved in at the sight of those bright blue eyes of his.

Sharing a look with her apprentice, Shizune merely smiled sheepishly as held Tonton in her arms.

Placing her arms akimbo, Tsunade sighed once more. She slowly nodded before softly smiling. "Yeah... Yeah, let's go home"

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

None had a problem falling into their respective beds as they went back to the hotel. Both Tsunade and Shizune had patched anyone up that needed some medical help. While normally Naruto would have groaned about it, he was actually silent, comfortable with just smiling at his grandmother who tended to him and Karin.

When she got up close and had a good long look at him, she found those whisker marks on his cheeks to be downright adorable!

All the while doing this she could feel her daughter's gaze on her the entire time. They both waited till everyone fell asleep as they took to the roofs. Tsunade sighed as she leaned against the water tower, her almond orbs watching every detail of her daughter.

She couldn't hide the tremble in her shoulders and hands. This was a longtime coming, better to let it all out here and now. She did not say a word, merely waited for Kushina to be ready to speak.

The redhead called up a barrier seal around them; Tsunade immediately recognized the matrix as a silence seal, meant to keep any sound from inside the barrier to be heard. Ah, so there was going to be yelling involved. Though it didn't surprise her knowing it was Kushina.

The Uzumaki's mouth opened and closed, shaking her head, trying to find the words. She had so many things to say at the same time.

She settled for the first ones that came to her head. "Why weren't you there?!"

Tsunade just stood there, letting her adopted daughter unwind.

"D-Do you have any idea what it was?! How horrible it all was?!" Kushina paced around, her hands roughly going through her red locks. "Twelve years! I missed twelve years and when I come back everything is wrong!"

… This wasn't just about Naruto, no. Whatever problems they had it involved Tsunade and him, but the boy, bless his forgiving heart, was so very willing to get it all behind him if it meant having his grandmother back with their family. She had failed her duty to be there for Naruto, and he had paid for it, so she swore to never again let him down.

But Naruto wasn't the only person she had failed.

"I had to watch as some masked bastard kill Hiruzen's wife, then threaten my newborn baby with a kunai all because he wanted that fucking fox! Minato convinces me to use Tsukiko's scroll. Then I wake up to find out not only is my husband is dead, but my best friend who I loved as much Minato also was killed by her own goddamn son! All because that piece of shit Fugaku and the others wanted to take over the village because they felt neglected by it!"

Kushina kept pacing; "When coming out of that scroll I find my baby nearly all grown up. But then I learn he spent his life alone being the village's pariah. I never got to watch him grow, read him bedtime stories, hold him for his birthday. I MISSED OUT ON EVERYTHING!" she punched through the cement in the wall; "ALL THE MOMENTS A PARENT IS SUPPOSED TO SHARE WITH THEIR CHILD!"

"So right now all I can do is spend time with him and train because I have no idea what I am supposed to do as a parent! Acting like a fool and keeping a smile on my face so he won't see how freaked out I am about everything!" She let out a humorless laugh. "And where was my mother through all this? Gambling and drinking away her sorrows in self-pity" Kushina laughed again, it was a not a healthy laugh.

The laugh soon became chuckles, and the chuckles strangled sobs. "Why weren't you there?!" She demanded. Bitter tears running down her cheeks. "Why weren't you there when he needed you?! ...Why weren't you there when I needed you?"

Why indeed?

"WHY?!" Kushina roared right in her mother's face. She froze soon feeling arms wrapped around her and pressed gently against Tsunade. Her mother held her lovingly, no words could say anything that could sooth her daughter's pain. So she held her child to convey every feeling that went unsaid.

For a long moment Kushina remained still till what felt like a dam breaking. Her tears started again but in fervor as she soon hugged her mother back. Her sobs became almost mourning wails as Tsunade sat them both down. A stream of her own tears fell as she felt her daughter shaking as she let out the pain.

So much time had been lost between them, no more... No more...

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

There she was. The girl was a sad little thing, all by herself on the swings, looking like she was lost and all alone in the world.

And she was; gods knew she was...

Tsunade bit a curse that threatened to escape her lips. She remembered the news bitterly still. Uzushio... gods fucking damn it...

Mito-baachan told her the girl would be under their care, and the medic could not refuse. To have lost it all at such a young age.

The blonde woman walked towards the girl, violet eyes looked up at her with uncertainty. "Hey" Tsunade smiled softly as she squatted. "We met before; I'm Mito's granddaughter Tsunade. You're Kushina right?"

The little girl did not reply, she just kept staring.

"Aren't you bored here by yourself?"

Kushina merely shook her head.

The medic held no illusions, having the poor kid try to reach out to other people would a monumental task. But she didn't get to where she was now by rejecting tough missions.

"You hungry?" She asked, and Kushina pondered for a moment before nodding. "Wanna get some ice-cream?"

The little girl bit her lip. "...ram..." She muttered.

"Huh?" Tsunade turned her ear to hear well.

"Ramen... I want ramen" She spoke oh so shyly.

The medic merely chuckled. "Ramen it is" And held up her hand for her to hold unto.

The girl jumped down from the swing, looking even smaller now, staring at the offered hand. Hesitantly she reached over and grasped a few fingers; Tsunade gently squeezed her hand in a comforting gesture. It was warm.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Arch: The Godaime arc is officially over! I want to thank Godospartan the kitsune for doing some assist in the Kabuto fight scene. On a side note I'd like to give a shout out to a YouTube channel called 'Overly Sarcastic Productions'. These guys are excellent, especially their talks about tropes. I recommend very highly on watching them.

New Jutsu:

(My thanks to Godo for coming up with these)

Kesshō Ittou Seki (Crystal blade Barrier)

Kesshō Kisou Shuuha (Crystal Homing Wave)